President

Raff Marioni

President

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Hey, I’m Raff Marioni and I’m proud to be your Students’ Union President for the 2018/19 academic year.  My role is all about representing the student voice to the University, community and media; with the ultimate goal of ensuring your interests and needs are always taken into account.

As well as this, I’m committed to achieving various goals which I set out on my manifesto upon election.  Reducing everyday costs, revitalising the social side of the Students’ Union, improving library services and introducing free campus-wide sanitary items are just some of my plans for the year.  These aim to tackle the issues students care about, making campus fairer, more affordable and more positive.

Continually improving, and engaging with, the student experience is at the heart of what we do at the Union. I encourage any student to come to my office on the ground floor of the Students’ Union or contact me with any suggestions/ideas on how we can make everyone’s time at Newcastle the best it can possibly be.

5 posts
Last post 01 Dec 2017
Last comment 09 Jun 2018
  • Reiding between the lines - December President Fri 01 Dec 2017 10:29 It seems like yesterday that bags were being unpacked, books being purchased and 9am attendances remained at 100%, but before...
  • Reiding between the lines - November President Wed 25 Oct 2017 11:42 Reiding Between the Lines - November Welcome to Reiding between the lines, my new blog updating students, staff and everyone else...
  • Martin Luther Who? President Fri 24 Feb 2017 11:23 On 13th November 1967, Newcastle University awarded Dr Martin Luther King an honorary degree, the only UK University to...
  • End of a Cheera President Mon 09 Mar 2015 11:45 Term 2 started off with an incredible rag week, and although I had been on committee the past two years...
  • Pres rewind President Tue 04 Nov 2014 16:47 6 weeks in and I already got myself draped over the front of the Union - and that's not after...

Objectives

 

From the manifestos that they were elected on, each Sabbatical Officer has chosen six objectives to focus on. During the year they will be updating their progress by colour coding each objective:

  • Green – Complete
  • Amber – In Progress
  • Red – Can’t Do
  • Grey – Not Started

Click on each box to find out more about how they are getting on.

1) Allow students to choose if they word process their exams.

There has been confirmation of a pilot of word-processed exams from the University. Working with the EO, we have also defined the terms of the pilot.

Updated 26.02.18

2) Invite speakers onto campus to speak to students.

After securing £10,000 worth of funding for the TedX event on the 3rd of March, I was also lucky enough to help with getting Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP up to Newcastle. The event was a total sell out, and required three overspill lecture theatres.

Updated 26.02.18

3) Make our campus more affordable.

NUSU Affordability has saved students over half a million pounds this academic year. Free graduation gowns, half price food, rent freezes, free travel and placement free proposals have all been ways in which NUSU have tackled the cost of living for thousands of students. In the context of the recent NUS Poverty Commission, this cost cuts make a big difference.

Updated 01.06.18

4) To prioritise and defend mental & physical health provision on campus.

I have launched Just What The Doctor Ordered, which is a service which links students to GP practices across the city. Some of these practices have online registration, meaning that you can do this in the comfort of your own room. This will improve access to mental and physical health services for hopefully thousands of students in the future. Check it out here: Just what the doctor ordered

Updated 01.06.18

5) Improve your Employability.

My most important work on employability has been a strategic when figuring out how NUSU can help employability for students. I have ensured that NUSU 2021 (NUSU’s new Strategic Plan) will have the notion of visibility and digital access as a major principle for employability for the next three years.

Updated 01.06.18

 

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